The Quandary of The Fairer Sex

GUWAHATI: The dilemma of gender equality has always been a moot question among every generation ever since the suffrage. The society has come a long way since then and although life has become a lot better for the female counterpart, the society has not made it any easier.

Women are no longer bound inside the house or refrained from getting an education but our society is answerable to a lot many inequalities. Especially in the hub of Assam, our city in spite of being one of the fastest developing cities in the country has not been able to shield the women from the eve teasing and harassment. During festivities, many youths get intoxicated and take it as a birthright to pester girls. College-going girls are the largest victims of this annoyance. “It’s been almost a year that I have been traveling via city bus to the college and I have been groped at least four times. I did not stop from answering back during those occasions but why should it happen at all?” a Handique Girls’ College student questioned.

An MA student of Gauhati University, recalling an unfortunate incident said, “When I was in my first year, a group of boys would always comment shady remarks. This went on for almost a month when I got extremely annoyed and reported it to a teacher who gave the boys a good hearing.”

A lady professor of Cotton University talked about the scarcity of women lavatories in the city and the problem it causes. “The urinals built in our city are few and far between and on top of it, hardly any of them are appropriate for women. The government should take the initiative to build more toilets and keep them clean.”

It can be easily deduced that homemakers have it easy because no one cares about how the food was made, the house cleaned or the children taken care of. These duties come free of charge and as such, are often overlooked as measly work. “As nothing in this world comes free of charge, the hardships of a homemaker should be duly appreciated. But since it is seldom done in our society, changes should be lawfully enforced”, stated a mother of two.

“Working mothers have it the hardest. We are either stopped from working if we bear children or forced to leave toddlers at home. Both are unacceptable. In every organization, playpens should be constructed, so that a mother can work in peace with her child nearby. The society is a family for a mother who needs help to raise her child. As such, playpens in every organization like in most metropolitan cities, should be a must”, said a government employee.

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